Recovering from a PR disaster is dandy, but it’s better to prevent one entirely.
PR disasters have the power to break even the strongest company. And while a solid recovery plan can lessen the damage, it’s much better to be proactive, and reduce the risk for a PR disaster altogether.
Thankfully, the following strategies make this possible for almost any business.
Be Transparent
Your first job is to be as transparent as possible. Let your customers and the general public know everything there is to know about how your company runs. If all the information is out in the open, nobody is going to be shocked when someone digs something up. You’ll also establish a reputation for your company being open and honest, which can help negate the effects of any bad news your customers come across.
Get Ahead of Bad News
Speaking of bad news, it’s going to happen. You’ll miss a deadline, screw up a product, or commit some major error in customer service. When the bad news starts to break, get ahead of it. Rather than waiting for the media to pick up on it, make a formal announcement. The faster you apologize, the less other people will have to say about your business.
Embrace Criticism and Flaws
Finally, learn to embrace criticism from your followers and customers. When someone complains about your business on social media, don’t delete the comment or ignore it; this will only attract further criticism. Instead, acknowledge it, and have a sense of humor about your business’s flaws. It makes it much harder to take a negative stance against your brand, and turns accusations into a harmless conversation.
If you need help putting together your PR strategy or starting a marketing campaign in general, contact Quez Media today! We’ll run an analysis of your current efforts, and give you all the tools you need to succeed.
